(1) Not ranting is not the same as not being able to put across your view forcefully and with passion. Pointing to bad things and arguing about it is good, but if it degenerates merely into name calling it is not very useful or entertaining for most people.

(2) I still feel there is a fundamental problem with the attitude that because one disagrees with things the government of the day does, it necessarily mean that they are all evil and that they have destroyed democracy or whatever. There comes a point (the US government seems close to that point and Putin’s Russia is far beyond that point) when one has every right to question the democratic credentials of a government. Our government at national level is not nearly there.

As for your view that people are not entitled to rant on your Blog…fair game…it’s your blog, but then again…I never knew that ranting about basic rights was something you found offensive…and here I refer to the right of those South African’s abroad to vote; the right to hospital care; and the right to dignity, and the right to life.

Terribly sorry that you find those concepts so abhorent and repugnant when pointed out to you in the cold hard light of day….especially in the context of the current politcal dispensation’s performance.

Maybe you would like to see comment that amounts to soft topics i.e. the sort of intellectual masturbation on academic topics that people write academic poetry about, and which their peers can acknoweldge with lofty phrases and gentle stroking, but which doesn’t really get their hands dirty with the real stuff that affects people like me on the street on a daily basis.

Ok, I get it…we can talk constitutional matters as long as we wear kid gloves when dealing with the adorable, cuddly and lovable ANC, because pointing out their real constitutional short-comings just seems to be a little too hot for you to handle…!

Enjoy your blog Prof., but remember, constituional sycophants ending leaving the country bitter, twisted and disappointed.

Maybe be a little more critical not about the Constitution, but about the current government’s behaviour…then you will add value to the rank and vile like me whose comments you find so abhorent. What you miss is that it’s actually people like me who care about the direction this country takes….and here we don’t refer to the constitutional potential but about the current govenment’s inentions which are so clearly shown by their actions and their total disregard for their own electorate…!

Ciao James and Prof…and remember…don’t gag on each other when next you’re getting down and dirty with each other about South Africa’s Constitutional potential…! Don’t worry about it now…because hey…the future always works itself out.

Adios Africannabis, but these guys are just too much…!

It would follow that there are more eastern capers in the western cape.

And more – for our health system to deal with…

I would question – the logic behind – the appropriation of money.

Especially when you consider government’s IT budget is 3 times (if not more) than that of any health budget.

So between basic rights, health, housing and access to information.

Which has the largest budget?

Sorry about the rants and raves – however I find between the spin – it is not only impossible to forget the basics (38000 displaced) when you live among it, but that other rational however trite (apartheid/ bikini’s)

Is all part of the distraction.

Civil Horror is the daily life of a Capetonian. Not to rant on a daily basis would be a disservice to democracy.

I am heartened by the fact that readers of this Blog take time out to comment on posts and I have thus far never taken down any comments – no matter how offensive – because I believe vigorous debate is essential. So I appeal to those who comment to keep comments to the point and to debate issues and ideas and not merely to go off on rants and raves. It does not really contribute to debate but merely confirms the prejudices and hatreds of those who comment. There is a difference between engaging in vigorous argument and merely bad-mouthing others. please try and respect that.

that wasn’t in the apartheid past – actually the ANC was in charge back then…

that’s one of many stories I can tell 1st hand

But enough about me!

“You people – Deserve Better!”

what was that – right to access medical what…?

26. everyone has the right to have access adequate housing…

my time up yet?

24b.iii everyone has the right to Secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources, while promoting justifiable economic and social development….

http://internafrica.blogspot.com/

B Eat that!

Is this the type of “embracing of democracy” by the ANC that some commentators on this Blogsite so frequently state underpins our democracy and the ANC’s approach to it…?

Where are those commentators now who believe that this country’s ruling party honestly believes in implementing democracy to its fullest and most meaningful intent i.e. buying into the spirit of open democracy and transparency when they behave like such third world, African style dictators…?

Who on this sight honestly believes that this truly shows the ANC’s desire to expand democracy to all people in this country on a fair and equitable basis…?

I come back to my point…our political masters tolerate demcoracy for their own narrow party-political ends…they do not embrace it….!